Container for volatile substances

ABSTRACT

The invention refers to a container ( 1 ) for volatile substances having a first chamber ( 2 ) containing a porous material ( 4 ) impregnated with a first volatile substance, and a second chamber ( 3 ) containing a second volatile substance. The evaporation of the first and the second volatile substances is synchronized so that both volatile substances are finished substantially at the same time. The second volatile substance is used as a visual indication of the end of life of the first substance. The open base of the first and the second chamber are covered by a permeable film. The container may be arranged with a heater for the volatile substances.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a container of volatile substances such as insecticides and/or perfumes. The second volatile substance is used as a visual indication of the end of life of the first substance.

BACKGROUND ART

Some of the prior-art evaporation devices use a porous solid material impregnated with a volatile substance, from which said substance is evaporated. The drawback associated to these devices, is that it is not possible to detect visually when the volatile product has been consumed because the appearance of the porous material is not altered.

There are known devices that in part solve this problem, because these devices include a first container from which a volatile substance is evaporated, and a second container with a typically coloured liquid substance, that serves to indicate visually when the volatile substance has been consumed. These devices have been designed so that the volatile substance and the coloured liquid, are completely evaporated more or less at the same time, even if they are under different temperature conditions.

However, this solution is not satisfactory because it requires the manufacture of two different containers, that need to be assembled together during the manufacturing process of the device, for that the cost of the device is increased.

Additionally, it is difficult to arrange the two containers at the same distance of the heating means of an evaporation device, thus it results that the evaporation of the volatile substance and the indicative liquid is not synchronized.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The container of the invention has two chambers for containing respectively a porous carrier impregnated with a first volatile substance, and a second chamber containing a second volatile substance. In the present invention porous carrier refers to a any type of porous material, including porous plastics.

The present invention solves the drawbacks of prior-art techniques, because it consist of a single container having two separate chambers, one for the solid carrier of the volatile substance, and the other for containing an indicative liquid which evaporates through a permeable film.

The indicative liquid may be coloured, so that for the user it may be easier to visualize the status of the volatile substance.

The container, the amount of volatile substance and indicative liquid, and the composition of both, are designed so that the rate of evaporation is substantially the same for both elements. The skilled person in the art using his common general knowledge, knows how to design the container and select a volatile substance and a liquid, in order to synchronise the evaporation of both elements.

Another aspect of the invention refers to an electric evaporation device which includes the contained previously described. Since a single container includes the two chambers, it is possible to design the container in such a manner that both chambers are located at a similar or suitable distance from the heating means of the device, so that it is possible to synchronise the rate of evaporation of the volatile substance and the indicative liquid. This arrangement has been represented in the attached figures.

Additionally, the invention provides the advantage that for the users is more convenient to replace only one container when the volatile substance has been consumed, than the two containers used by prior-art devices.

The container may be thermoformed using a transparent plastic plate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description being made and with the object of aiding towards a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, in accordance with a preferred example of embodiment thereof, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description, wherein the following has been represented, with an illustrative, non-limiting character:

FIG. 1.—shows an exploded perspective view of the container of the invention.

FIG. 2.—shows another exploded perspective view of the electric device of the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1 it can be observed that the container (1) of the invention has a first chamber (2) containing a porous material (4) impregnated with a first volatile substance, and a second chamber (3) containing a second volatile substance.

The container is configured to allow the evaporation of said volatile substances. This is achieved by an opening in said first chamber by means of which the porous material is in contact with the air. Similarly the second chamber has an opening closed by a permeable film (5) which allows the evaporation of the second volatile substance in a vapour state.

The second volatile substance is a liquid or a gel.

A first and a second peealable films (6,7) are respectively provided closing said first and second chamber during storage and transport of the container.

The evaporation of the first and the second volatile substances is synchronized so that both volatile substances are finished (consumed) substantially at the same time. In other words, the rate of evaporation of the first and the second substances has been selected so that both volatile substances are finished substantially at the same time. This is achieved by selecting a proper volatile substances and permeable film, and properly configuring the container.

FIG. 2 shows an electric device (8) for the evaporation of volatile substances which includes the previously-described container. The device comprises heating means (9) arranged to heat said first and second volatile substances. 

1. Container for volatile substances having a first chamber containing a porous material impregnated with a first volatile substance, and a second chamber containing a second volatile substance, and wherein the container is configured to allow the evaporation of said volatile substances.
 2. Container according to claim 1 wherein the evaporation of the first and the second volatile substances is synchronized so that both volatile substances are finished substantially at the same time.
 3. Container according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the first and the second chambers have an open base.
 4. Container according to any of the preceding claims wherein the open base of the second chamber is covered by a permeable film.
 5. Container according to any of the claims 1 to 3 wherein the open base of the first and the second chamber are covered by a permeable film.
 6. Container according to any of the preceding claims wherein the second volatile substance is a liquid or a gel.
 7. Device for the evaporation of volatile substances including a container according to any of the preceding claims.
 8. Device according to claim 7 comprising heating means arranged to heat said volatile substances. 